


Without you

by BillCipher666



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Magic, Mental Breakdown, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, No Smut, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, Soulmates, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29344392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillCipher666/pseuds/BillCipher666
Summary: "Okay so here's what we have," Kee said spreading out her hands. "Bill got punished for burring his dimension to the ground, and that punishment was taking on a mortal body and life. Every life lost equals a year he would have to spend as a mortal." The pines twins nodded. "And somehow, before even one year was completed, he regained his powers and is now raging on the whole world for some unknown reason." The twins nodded again. "So he got powers and we don't know why, and he's pissed and we don't know why," Kee concluded."We know nothing except that he betrayed us, again," Mable said as tears started to stream down her face.--------------------------------[I'M GOING TO CHANGE THIS A LITTLE, CUZ THERE IS ALMOST NO MIDDLE. SO CHAPTERS WILL BE ADDED SOON]Trigger warning in notes
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines, Candy Chiu/Dipper Pines, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines, Past Candy Chiu/Dipper Pines
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Don’t You Dare Look Out Your Window, Darling Everything’s On Fire

**Author's Note:**

> TW: swearing, blood/gore, some yucky description, more blood, lighting things on fire, internalized homophobia, bad parenting, daggers? and low key torture, but not too bad  
> (this is for the whole book, I won't be putting individual warnings at the begging of that chapter)

Dipper walked quickly through the burning streets, ducking in and out of sight as he made his way towards Lakeside Park, praying that his sister had made it there safely. The scent of burning flesh stood out among the melted glass, concrete, and tar. Though he was miles away from his parent's house he could still see the burning home as the flames licked at the burning foundation, he could still smell the horrid scent that seeped from the house into the surrounding houses and streets. 

Although he had never been that close with his parents, their poor parenting skills and choices made sure of that, he would mourn their untimely death. They had always threatened to kick him out of his house after they had discovered his 'unnatural lust' when he had been caught kissing a boy - and never failed to remind him that he was doomed to the fiery pits of hell because of it.  _ Who would have known that they were right? _ Dipper thought looking around at the mass destruction around him. 

Dipper crossed through the small patches of trees, all of which were burnt down to the stumps, to get to the edge of the lake. He then took out a smooth piece of dark blue coral and tossed it into the dark waters. It splashed, sending ripples across the once smooth surface, and sunk deep into the polluted waters.

Seconds later a horned, blue-tinted head slipped out of the water. Its pale blue eyes glowed softly, reflecting eerily on the water. The deer's hide was a deep blue while its horns were silvery-white and wrapped with pearls. Long bones wove in, out, and around each other; forming an intricate and symmetrical pattern. The stag's horns reached almost four feet tall. The deer itself was about five feet tall at its shoulder. And though it resembled a whitetail-deer, it dwarfed any of that species. 

Dipper smiled slightly and held his hand out to the creature. The deer brought his wet muzzle up to Dipper's outstretched hand and nuzzled it, before moving forward so that Dipper could climb onto its back. The deer's front legs looked like a deer while the back faded into a skinny but powerful tail. Its back was slick, causing Dipper to grip the stag’s fur for dear life. After Dipper was seated on the deer's back, his bag sealed and weapons secured, the deer snuck back down into the water and raced off towards the open water. 

The creature's lunate tail snapped back and forth, propelling the two through the water. Dipper’s spell held up against the rushing currents, keeping him mostly dry. The water rushed past him and tugged at his clothes but didn't leave any wetness behind. 

They neared an underwater town that sat miles away from the shore of California and deep enough that no human could enter without magic and permission. Dipper would have been killed on the spot if he hadn't been welcomed to the underwater haven. 

The deer slowed a bit as they passed a pair of sharks patrolling the borders of the city. The deer navigated through the low populated streets until they reached the edge of a cavern. The deer started to glow a soft blue as he lowered himself into the black crack. After sinking far enough down, the stag swam into a small opening on the wall and small through the tunable to a large open-air cavern. 

The whole room glowed with bioluminescent creatures and items and magic. Mable was passing on the damp rocks near the edge of the water. The red stone looked like wet clay when the water lapped at its sloped edges. 

"Dipper!" Mable yelled when she finally caught sight of him. The older twin ran to the edge of the water as Dipper slid off of the deers back. Mable threw her arms around her brother pestering him with concerns. 

"I'm fine Mable, have you heard anything from the Grunkals?" DIpper asked in concern. 

"No not yet," Mable said stepping back and wrapping her arms around her waist. Dipper frowned then turned to the deer which was still floating in the cool water. 

"Thank you for the ride Elapho," Dipper said finally calling the creature by his name. The deer seemed to nod before turning from him and disappearing from the cave. Dipper knew that he would be back in a moment's notice if Dipper needed him. 

Dipper had met Elapho a few months ago when he had gotten stuck in a fishing net and stranded on the beach. If Dipper hadn't been there the deer would have dried out and died. Elapho returned the favor when saving Dipper from a flash flood that would have drowned him. The two had formed a mutual respect and almost friendship, always being there for the other when lives were on the line.

"Do you need me to bandage anything?" Dipper said turning from the water to look at his sister searching her for fatal injuries. 

"No, Kee tended to the worst of it, the rest will heal pretty quickly," just as she said that the Kelpie rose from the water and slung an arm over Dippers shoulder. The shapeshifter always chose to make her form taller than Dippers which at first annoyed him, but didn't much anymore. Dipper stood 5'10 finally rising above his sister 5'8. Kee usually chose to make herself barely 5'11. 

The girl's long deep green hair fell almost to the floor. Her bright green eyes stood out against her pale skin and shape white teeth. She had a tight layer of skin over her that acted like clothes and a protective layer. Since she preferred her horse/fish form, she didn't make much effort to get real clothes. 

"So," the water horse spirit said sarcasm and blame dripping off each word. "I hate to be a bitch, but I told you so," she said lazily waving her hands. She then pushed off of Dipper and walked where Mable was standing and gave her a disappointed look. Mable turned from her to look at the ground. Her face heated up and gilet settled over the two twins. 

"Yea, I guess you did," Dipper said taking off his backpack reaching into it to pull out his weather blue hat placing it on top of his curls, flatting them down to better cover the mark on his forehead. 

"I mean, I don't blame you little calf, you're too good-hearted for this world," Kee said running her hand through the girl's chocolate curls. When Mable first met Kee she had been unafraid and just happy to meet a new animal, at that time Kee was in her true form and appeared to be Hippocamp. Kee then compared her to a baby dolphin, and the nickname 'calf' stuck. 

"He really seemed sorry," Mable muttered her shoulders drooping even farther down.

"While some people are good actors," Dipper said trying to comfort his sister but Mable could hear the poisons edge to his voice, but chose to not ask about it. 

"Oh, did you find Candy and Grenda?" Mable asked excitedly. She knew that they would not be with him but if he was them Dipper would make sure that they were safe. 

"I'm sorry Mable," Dipper said quietly walking over to his sister. "They're gone." The happiness drained from Mable, her face went white as she comprehended her brother's words. 

"No, No they can't be!" Mable bawled tears beginning to stream down her face. 

"The hotel they were staying at was already burnt down when I got there Mable, and everything happened so fast, they're gone." Mable fell to the floor, racking sobs escaping her shaking frame. Dipper kelt down and wrapped his arms around his shaking sister, pushing his worries aside.

"Are you doing okay?" Kee whispered after Mable had cried herself to sleep, finally letting exhaustion overtake her. Dipper knew that he should feel worse than he did because as far as anyone knew, he had just lost his girlfriend of five years. He and Candy started dating again during their last year of high school. Candy went to a community college in Oregon and Dipper moved to Massachusetts to attend a full-ride schoolship at Havard. They had both just graduated and were staying in California for a month to hang out and see his parents. Then  _ he _ arrived. 

The tall blond walked into their lives and planted himself there. He stuck to the Pines twins, mainly Dipper like a leach. He taught Dipper more magic than he thought was cable to be wielded by a human, he helped him with research, talked nonstop about the things he'd seen as an immortal and he genuinely seemed to be different.

Mable had been the first to befriend him and because of her pressure, Dipper let the blond grow closer. It was due to Mable's intervention that Dipper had any friends. It was also her idea to start dating Candy again. And he went along with it, because if he couldn't love who he wanted to, then why not make her and Candy happy? 

Mable had always told him that she would love him no matter what, but the fear and hate that his parents had instilled was still there. He could lose them but if he lost Ford and Stan... Dipper would rather have his family than a partner. He knew deep down that he would always have Mable, though the fear that she would leave him was still there. Mable had experimented in highschool and concluded that girls are nice, but she preferred boys. 

_ What if she thinks that only liking boys are weird? What if it's only okay if you like both? What will Ford think? Will Stan be disappointed in him? Will he lose his family?  _

"Hey! You okay lill' fawn?" Kee asked using another nickname. Though this one referred to how much Dipper resembled a deer. Big soft brown eyes and hair, a splash of light freckles, and how he acted, at least that's what she and Mable had agreed on. 

"Yea, I'll be fine..." He said quietly, though he was responding to his thoughts more than Kee's question. 

"I don't need to be a fae or a damn unicorn to tell that that's a lie," Dipper opened his mouth to respond but the Kelpie held up her finger to silence him. "You don't love her, that's obvious, your sister is just a little clueless. You're also not okay for some other reason," Kee said tilting her head.

"I'm fine Kee, just tired," Dipper said, then stood up, shifting Mable's weight onto Kee's before walking to the corner of the cave and climbing into his bed. Which consisted of a few blankets and pillows crammed into larger crevices in the wall of the cave. Dipper pulled a blanket over himself and turned his back to the two girls on the floor. 

Once Kee's breathing evened out, did Dipper finally let his treas stream from his eyes. He had only expected a few tears to fall but was sorely mistaken. Proven by the fact that when he had finally tired himself out, his pillowcase was drenched in tears and smelled strongly of salt. Dipper took a deep breath before letting it out and slipping into unconsciousness.


	2. A Story Told

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My recent obsession has been making all my titles songs/lyrics, so here we are

Dipper woke to the sound of his sister walking around the cave humming some pop tune and scrolling through her phone. Kee was nowhere to be seen but was most likely only a few miles swimming around. Or she had been the first to leave and assess the damage.

"Morning Dip Dop," Mable said giving her brother as much of a smile as she could muster at the moment. Dipper grunted in response and pulled himself out of the makeshift bed and onto the cold floor. 

"Bars?" Dipper asked looking at the phone in her hand. 

"No, most of the cell towers must have been knocked down," Mable said frowning down at the lit screen. "No one knows how bad it is, or how far it's spread. They don't who to blame either," Mable said worrying at her bottom lip. 

"Well, lucky us," Dipper scoffed taking off his hat, it had flattened during the night, and shock it back to shape. The bright blue had faded but the Pinetree on the front was still visible. The brim was covered with designs, piercings, and different forms of tape and glue trying to hold the thing together. 

"Welcome to the land of the living," Kee said as she shot out of the water landing gracefully on the now wet rock. Dipper had been known to be a deep sleeper when he wasn't pestered by nightmares. 

"It's good to be back," He said cracking a smile. 

"How bad is it?" Mable said lowing her hands which had been gripping her phone. 

"To put it simply? Bad, really bad," Kee said running a hand through her wet hair. Mable slid her phone into her pocket before sliding down to the floor to sit with her legs crossed. 

"Care to elaborate?" Dipper asked walking over to where Mable now sat and slid down beside her. 

"Oh where to even start," the Kelpie sighed as she came to join the Pines twins on the ground. 

"How far has it spread?" Dipper started shooting out questions. 

"The whole world, China fell minutes ago."

"What's the world like here?"

"Not a soul is left in sight on land, creatures in the water have retreated as deep as they can get."

"Has there been any sign of him?" Dipper could not bring himself to say the demon's name. Names have power, didn't they?

"Everywhere, he has no pattern and no constraint, no one has seen him like this in decades. People are saying that even The Axolotl is concerned with his actions," Kee said trying to rub away the goosebumps that were forming on her arms. 

"The Axolotl is a thousand times more powerful than Time Baby and Him combined, why would they be scared of him?" Dipper questioned.

"I didn't say scared fawn, I said concerned."

"Still,  _ The Axolotl,  _ is taking interest in the happenings of one small dimension with one demon? There has to be something more. That just doesn't make sense."

"We're more than just ' _ one small dimension', _ " Mable hissed at her brother though tears were starting to pool in her eyes. 

"He's not showing any mercy or restraint," Kee said softly, "That's why The Axolot is taking an interest. Bill is mad powerful and acts crazy but really, he is incredibly intelligent, cunning, and manipulative. He should not be acting this way, it's not who he is." After she said this silence filled the room, they all knew she was right. When the demon had first shown up he had told them that he was trying to get his powers, immortality, and dimension back. He told them straight up knowing that that honestly would work best, every move was precise and chosen. It didn't make sense that he would do this. 

"But  _ how? _ How did he do this?" Mable pleaded. "He said that this was his punishment from The Axolot, and that the only way he could resolve his crime was to take a different form in a different time. He had to live like that for as many years as people he killed."

"And he's only been here for about a year, right?" Kee questioned. 

"Yea," Dipper said shaking his head. "So we know that he should have not been able to get his powers back, which means that the reason they are back, can't be a good one."

"Okay so here's what we have," Kee said spreading out her hands. "Bill got punished for burring his dimension to the ground, and that punishment was taking on a mortal body and life. Every life lost equals a year he would have to spend as a mortal." The pines twins nodded. "And somehow, before even one year was completed, he regained his powers and is now raging on the whole world for some unknown reason." The twins nodded again. "So he got powers and we don't know why, and he's pissed and we don't know why," Kee concluded. 

"We know nothing except that he betrayed us, again," Mable said as tears started to stream down her face. The two girls had mirrored looks of hopelessness. After the silence became too much to bear, Dipper finally spoke. 

"I was there when he snapped," Dipper said quietly staring at the ground. His knees were pulled up to his chest, his head resting onto, his eyes bore down onto the red rock. 

"You what?" Kee asked accusingly. Dipper flinched before speaking again. 

"We were out in the woods, I had to stop to get something and when I looked up again he was gone. We got separated, so I began to walk around looking for him. We were in the forest near our house so I didn't feel the need to panic. Then I heard yelling, screams, and magic being thrown around. He and two other people were screaming but I couldn't find them. I saw blue and purple fire and two voices shouting at each other, the third just screamed." Dipper paused and took a deep breath. "Before I knew it the entire forest erupted with blue fire... none of it hurt me. But I can't say the same for the forest of the area. It was all covered in his blue flames, before turning bright red. The real fire hurt, though I healed the burns while on my way here."

The room was quiet enough to hear the bonce between molecules. Dipper sat still while Kee and Mable looked at each other and him with bewilderment. 

"I... shit," Kee said rubbing her hands along her face. "So Bill got in a fight with someone and his powers returned. Which means what he was fighting for was important, and the person was near his level of skill." Kee concluded. When no one said anything else she continued. "But who was the third, what were they screaming about, and are they still alive?" Kee asked turning to look at Dipper. 

"I, I don't know. They sounded scared and in pain, and... human." Dipper said, causing the temperature in the room to drop a few degrees. 

"Well," Mable said with fake enthusiasm. "I'm hungry, let's forget about this for an hour and go get some food," she then walked towards the water with Kee who transformed into the form of a green horse with a large tail inside of back legs and allowed Mable onto her back.

"I'll be there in a minute, go on without me," Dipper said waving them out. Mabel frowned but nodded, the two then sunk under the water and were gone. Dipper then walked over to his backpack and pulled out the pendant he had given Dipper a week ago. It was a simple blue crystal caved into a triangle with the demon’s signature eye hanging on a black leather cord. 

_ "What is it?" Dipper asked raising an eyebrow at the demon who was now splayed across his bed and Dipper's lap.  _

_ "Well to your dumb meat sack mind it's a protection amulet," Bill said smirking at the shorter male.  _

_ "And what exactly does it do?" _

_ "It protects you from any and all kinds of magic. What do you think it does, grant wishes?" Bill retorted snapping his head to the top of the bed where Dipper sat.  _

_ "But why give it to me? Why not Mable, or both of us?" Dipper questioned raising the stone to his face causing it to sparkle in the evening sunlight.  _

_ "Because Shooting Star has adequate self-preservation skills, while you on the other hand," Bill began as he crossed his hands over each other setting them in Dipper's lap. The demon then placed his head over his intertwined fingers and smirked up at Dipper. "tend to get yourself in very dangerous situations." _

Dipper would never admit it out loud, but the demon was right. For one, Mable wasn't the one to fallen hard for a demon. A demon that had just conquered all of the earth and with such hostility that the ruler of the cosmos themselves has taken notice.  _ Yes, _ Dipper though,  _ this is a very dangerous situation.  _


	3. Wanderer's Lullaby

The sand underneath Dipper's hands was soft and warm from the California sun. The blue waves washed up ginst the shore creating a constant rhythm of splashing waves. If you ignored the red tint to the water and the smoke, eye bats, and the red rips in space-time clogging the sky, it was almost a peaceful scene. Hours after the demon had "gone nuclear," that's what they had decided on calling his ascend back to power, bloody looking rifts began to open all over the Us, then the world. Though no one had reported a giant multicolored X, so they had no idea where most of his power was, and where he would be staying most of the time. The Fearamid has yet to make its appearance.

Now back on dry land, Mabble tied once again to get a signal, with no luck. They only had the information that Kee had brought and what they could see. The sky was a mixture of gray smoke and blood-red light that emitted eerily from the rifts. It was warm, even for California, but the stillness of the world and the breeze that blew through the uninhabited land sent a shiver down their backs and caused goosebumps to rise on their skin. 

Kee was sitting in the water in her Kelpie form, her hoves were tucked underneath her large body while her tail was spread out behind her in the deeper water. She still could talk, though was abnormally quiet, she nor Mable could come with anything to fill the space. So the three of them sat in silence eating whatever food Kee and Mable were able to find. Elapho's horns pierced the surface of the water periodically but besides that, no movement could be seen. No people on the water, no animals in it, no birds above it.

They were seated on an island a miles away from the mainland, but close enough that there should have been people everywhere. Or at least a fish or two jumping from the water. They could see the remains of building on the shore that spewed out toxic smelling smoke and ash. red and orange flames flickered throughout the town and on the water, where burning bits of debris floated.

"What do we do now?" Mabble asked after finishing a bag of something and lighting it on fire with a dark red amulet that was located on her wrist in the form of a bracelet. Dipper ran his hand over the assortment of amulets that were tied to his wrist and the few that hung on a chain around his neck, right next to the triangue crystal. 

"We need to get back to Gravity Falls," Dipper said confidently. "Ford may know something that could help us get rid of him again. It's also the safest place."

"What do you think you will be able to do Fawn?" Kee said turning her hopelessness into anger. "You won't be able to pull the same tricks again, and he most likely will kill you before you can do anything. Not to mention that the Zodiac won't be useful to you." 

"Don't say that..." Mable protested. "We can't make assumptions like that."

"Kee's right Mable," Dipper said quietly turning to stare at the dead city. "About the Zodiac." When Dipper turned to look at his sister again her eyes were glossy as she tried to hold back tears. 

"But we shouldn't assume that..." Mabe said quietly fisting her hands. Dipper sighed and turned to share a lock with the Kelpie. Mable had always been optimistic, while Dipper over the years had grown to be more of a pessimistic. Kee after being alive for so long tried to be realistic, but sarcasm and years of painful stories weighed the immortal down. 

"Okay lill' calf," Kee said shaking out her mane. 

"So how are you supposed to get from here to Oregan without dying a horribly painful and untimely death?" Kee asked shifting into her mortal form so she could display how displeased with the situation she was via her hand gestures and expressions. The immortal stressed the word 'you' reminding the twins of their mortality and the Kelpies near-infinite life. 

Dipper then shrugged off his backpack and reached into the bag and pulled out a leather-bound journal with a golden pine tree attached to the front. He then began to flip through the ink-filled pages until he landed on the one he needed. 

"I might have an idea," he said turning the book towards the girls allowing them to scan the page. Mable became more helpful after every sentence as Kee's face darkened. 

"That's going to require a lot of magic kid," Kee said eyeing him warily. Dipper knew this was true, and that if they picked the wrong spot to travel through, they could end up dead. The spell consisted of a mixture of traditional magic and what had come to be known as Cipherean. Meaning that no only was it spoken backward, but also in Latin. The spell would allow the user to travel anywhere in the world but if you wanted to go to a place where almost no magic existed naturally then you would have to supply the extra power. And the farther you went the more magic one needed. Since Gravity Falls was brimming with weirdness and magic, they probably wouldn't  _ die.  _ But if they left from the wrong area then they would risk magical and physical exhaustion and pass out on arrival. 

"I know, but the whole town must be buzzing with it," Dipper said excitedly. He knew that this was a morbid situation but he could still feel the buzz of magic from yesterday. He had only been in the town for about 30 minutes after the demon went off, but the levels of magic hanging in the air were... he couldn't describe it. "The place where he went off has to be the most charged pace in all of California, maybe the US. If we leave from there we should be safe."

"Are you coming with us?" Mable asked looking hopefully at Kee. 

"I'm sorry Mable," Kee said guiltily. "I'll take Elapho and swim to Oregan's cost, but I'm not going up on land."

"Oh..." Mabble said looking down at the sand, suddenly taking interest in the small pebbles scattered through the grain. 

"But if you need me just holler. I'll hear you and will come as quickly as I can. But," she paused looking back at the water. "I don't want to be on the land longer than I have to. And if I have a choice, I'm avoiding it. Sorry, lill' one."

"It's okay," Mable said smiling at the immortal, though it was strained and obviously faked. 

"I'll give you a ride back though, where to?" Kee said, directing the question to Dipper. 

"I'll show you, it the same place Elapho picked me up from yesterday," Dipper said sanding up throwing his bag back onto his back, making sure that the waterproof magical seal was still working. He then readjusted the belt of weapons so that it sat lower on his waist. A Magnet gun rested on one hip and a laser gun on the other. Both improved models of the ones Ford had used when they had first met. Different amulets, potions, knives, and magical artifacts hung on the belt, enchanted to be small until Dipper, and only Dipper removed them. 

He then walked to the edge and called for the deer who appeared seconds later. He climbed on the creature's back and sunk into the water, then after glancing back to make sure Kee and Mable were ready to go, he asked Elapho to take him back to where he'd been picked up the day before. The stag gave o sign that he had heard, but barreled forward towards the shores of California. 

Once they arrived back at the city park, Dipper climbed off and said goodbye to the stag, knowing he may never see the animal again and if he did, it would be a long time. Kee stayed longer making sure that they would be okay and saying her goodbyes. After she too had descended back into the water and raced away, the twins turned and walked into the burnt remains of what was once their home. 


	4. Home

The twins walked slowly through the deserted town taking in all that they could, trying to figure out what had happened while they were running for safety and what had happened after. They decided that taking a car or any motorized vehicle, deciding it would make too much noise, and opted for walking the forty minutes to their destination. 

Parts of the street were reduced to nothing but rubble and melted tar filling the town with the smell of burnt rubber among other things. NOt a single building was left untouched, though the destruction varied. Some buildings were all the way done, burnt to ashes, or broken into chunks of rock and wood. Some were missing rooms or entire floors, while some were just scorched. So of the houses were still burning adding to the town's charred aroma. Nothing was left untouched by the demon's rage.

Just as they stepped onto the main highway that would lead them to the small patch of woods where the demon had been, they heard sirens. Dipper grabbed Mable's arm and pulled her behind a pickup that was laying abandoned on the side of the road. The ambulance sped to a halt a few meters away from them, and half a dozen people in white and red outfits jumped out. 

"Look for survivors!" One of them shouted as they handed out radios to each member. "Bring them to the hospital, or any of these malls or schools," he then began listing a dozen buildings that surrounded the hospital that was talking in people. He then told them what channel they should be using to communicate then sent them into the city. 

"People!" Mable whisper shouted moving to get up from her place behind the car. 

"Mable we need to go, we have to get to Gravity Falls."

"But there are other people there and people we know!" Mable said frowning at her brother as she stied to pull away. 

"But they will die soon if we don't help," Dipper said tightening his grip on his sister's arm though not enough to hurt her. The government leaders had either been killed or were hiding in some supper safe and hidden bunker. Everything had fallen into the hands of the people, the people who had no idea what they were up against. Only the people of Gravity Falls were familiar with the dream demon. She stopped moving ad let her shoulders drop in defeat. She nodded and Dipper let go of her arm. The two then walked carefully down the road staying of the rescue team's sight. 

They continued in silence, quicking their pace as they got closer, though they were trying to get there as quickly as possible, Dipper changed their path a bit s that they would avoid their parent’s neighborhood. He didn't want to see it again and didn't want to make Mable see the charred remains of what they once had called home. Mable had had a home there days ago, while Dipper hadn't truly called that place home for years. 

Entering the small wood was like walking into a different dimension. The whole place buzzed with magic that more intense the deeper they got. The trees that were still there were black and missing their branches but stood tall. The trees on the outside were gone while the ones near the center looked healthier like they weren't hit by magical fire not even a day ago. 

"There's so much," Mable drawled looking lazily around at the trees expectation to see something. Dipper felt the weight of the magic against him and he hated it, he hated that he loved it. The amount of magic clogging the air filled him with a sense of drunken power. Dipper was still able to think easily while Mable was going fast. Dipper's fascination with magic had crated an obsession when it came to mastering it. His endless hours spent spell casting and creating and collecting things of magic had built up a tolerance. But the weight of unrestrained demon magic, and a powerful demon too, left Diper feeling dazed. 

"Come on," Dipper said reaching down t grab his sister's hand to drag her deeper into the forest. Breathing in through his mouth and out through his nose, Dipper trudged through the forest until they reached a clearing so thick with magic you could almost feel it. After having his sister sit down and drink a water bottle that was in her bag, Diper got to work. 

The large circle was formed from a rainbow liquid of unicorn blood and lit on fire with a matching red amulet on Dipper's hand. Inside the circle Dipper placed a piece of wood from a tree that only grew in the forest of Gravity Falls, this would ensure that they make it to the right place. He then called Mable over and began the incantation that would take them from their burnt home in California to the forest of Gravity Falls.

Dipper grabbed his sister's hands and created a circle with their arms that hung on top of the ring of unicorn blood on the ground. He then began chanting, keeping his voice level as the backward Latin flowed from him like a stream of water. Spells were supposed to get harder as they continued but Dipper had found that when he started to spell cast everything would fade away, making the magic flow easier and the spell become stronger than it should have been when being spoken by a mortal.

As he neared the end of the spell the fire turned from a pink-red, that was caused by the blood, to a rich blue, the color that Dippers of magic. The fire brew taller and taller before breaking like a dam and falling back onto the twins. The world went bright and hot before that and the feeling of falling faded away and they stood alone on the soft green grass of Gravity Falls Oregan. Mable dropped her brother's hands and stumbled away from him to rest her hand herself on one of the trees. Dipper just fell to his keens as the smell of smoke faded away and was replaced by the fresh smell of water and grass. 

The sun shown through the leaves warming Dipper to the bone and causing him to call down for the first time that day. After a few moments of collecting herself, Mable turned to her brother to suggest that they head towards the Shack. Dipper nodded and lifted himself from the grass and over to his sister's side. After confirming that they were both well enough to move, he started them on a light job towards the Stans'. 

Though as they neared the Shack they began to move quickly until they were both all-out sprinting to the clearing where the Shack sat. Once they broke through the clearing Dipper slowed to a jog as Mabe sailed past him into the Shack calling out their uncle's names on the way. Dipper reached the front porch and walked through the still-open door to see Mable wrapped in a hug by Stan. Ford, just entering the room ran over to Dipper crushing him in a hug of his own.

Their gruncles showered them with questions about what had happened, hiding their concerns behind tactical questions. Though both the twins say through the mask. 

"Don't worry gruncle Stan, we're okay!" Mable said pulling away from the bear hug to smile at the older man. 

"I knew you were pumpkin," Stan said ruffling his nices hair smiling, though he still looked tense. 

"How much do you know about what's happened? About what Bill has done?" Ford asked once they had all calmed down a bit and were sitting together in the living room, all with a can of soda. 

"Not a lot but..." Dipper started then turned to his sister for help.

"It's a long story so you might want to get comfortable," Mable said giving her brother a perfect segway into his story. 

"Well," He began, "I was there when he snapped..."


	5. But Strangely He Feels At Home In This Place

Dipper tossed back in forth in his twin-sized bed before coming to the concussion that he would not be sleeping tonight. He sat up in his bed and reached for his phone that was sitting on the bedside table and began to scroll through it. After Ford came back, Mable made sure that he would give them the best signal possible, and he had delivered. Their phones were on a great working network and had full bars, though there was a limit to what they could considering that the rest of the world was not as prepared for this as the Pines had been. 

The moon shone through the triangle window casting a weirdly shaped shadow on the ground. Mable's moved into Ford's old room when Ford decided to stay in the bunker or his lab full time. Stan stayed in his room and Dipper kept the attic. There was still a twin bed on the other side of the room if anyone ever came to stay or Mable wanted to sleep in his room. But right now, Dipper sat alone in his dark rook staring out the oddly shaped window at the moon. 

Scrolling through his phone offered no solace, the demon hadn't calmed down at all and was still a raging animal, destroying anything that got too closes. People were saying that he was passive, and just destroyed property unless people got too close, anyone that neared him was dead. He was currently heading back towards the US, or that's what people predicted based on his movements. 

The pictures were the worst, everything in them was burnt or burning. The fear and confusion were clear, their eyes were blown wide, and panicked as if wondering if they were really safe. Some government officials had tried to go on air and assure the world that they were going to be okay and that they were working on the situation at hand. Though people either couldn't see the PSA's or didn't believe them. The governer of Californa, who has locked safely away in some bunker, had said that if they stuck together they would all be fine, though she seemed to be convincing herself more than anything. 

Dipper shut off his phone and slipped it into his sweat pants before pulling himself out of the rickety bed and over to the other side of the room where his backpack and dresser sat. Dipper pulled on a black T-shirt and gray hoodie covering up the tattoos that swirled across his arms and onto his back. The black ink started halfway between his wrist and elbow and continued up past his shoulder blades spilling onto his back. The markings were for magic only, but to an untrained eye, they would seem like only random scribbles and symbols. 

He then picked off his backpack tossing it onto his back and grabbed his laser gun off the spare bed tucking it into its holster. After checking to make sure that all of his amulets were positioned right, he grabbed a pair of shoes, slipping the black cloth over his feet as he moved towards the door. He opened the door and paused, debating the pros and cons of the last piece of jewelry. Though after a minute of debate, he hurried back to his bedside table to grab the triangular crystal and slipped it on over his head. 

Dipper walked slowly down the stairs trying to keep the stairs from creaking loudly and alerting Stan and or Mable. After he had made it through the chack, he opened the door slowly and placed it back in place before hurrying off into the woods. He knew that he should have felt scared, being alone in the dark, at night, while a demon was on the loose, but he felt free. His room had become too small for his thoughts, but the wood and its magic were bigger than anything. 

He slipped across the uneven ground not falling or stumbling once until he reached his destination. The small pond glittered softly in the moonlight, calming Dipper as he lowered himself onto the smooth gray rock that hung over the water. He shrugged off his bag before laying on his stomach and draping one hand in the water. Before he knew it, sleep overcame him and he slipped soundlessly into the mindscape. 

_ "What are you doing, no, what are you  _ trying _ to do?" Bill asked, waking out of the wood into a small clearing to see Dipper sitting at the side of a small pond. California was huge and finding someplace to hide was hard, and it was made worse when a demon had decided to make his project to  _ annoy _ Dipper as much as possible.  _

_ "I was trying to turn water into ice without freezing the whole pond, but that requires concentration, something you refuse to let me have," Dipper said scowling at the demon, who returned the look with a smug one of his own.  _

_ "While you were failing before I got here Pinetree, don't blame me," Bill retorted walking over to where Dipper had flopped down in defeat. Bill slid down into a sitting position next to the brunette and watched as Dipper turned his head away from the demon in favor of looking up at the sky.  _

_ "You're so annoying," Dipper huffed sifting his arms so they were laying underneath his neck and head.  _

_ "You love me," Bill purred as he leaned his head over Dippers, blocking out the sky and sun and casting a shadow across Dipper's face. Dipper felt a blush spread across his cheeks as the demon smirked down at him. He then turned his head away attempting to escape the blond's gaze. "Aw Pinetree, are you blushing?" _

_ "No, screw you," Dipper snapped rolling away from the demon and sitting up so that the two were on the same line of sight. Bill was taller than Dipper but the extra few inches were all thanks to legs, so when they were sitting Dipper was almost taller.  _

_ "You can't lie to me Pinetree," Bill said leaning forward on his hands, but not moving from his seated position near the pond. Dipper's face turned even redder as the blond moved closer.  _

_ "Shut up," Dipper muttered looking away from the demon in favor of analyzing the long blades of grass that were botted with bits of dirt and water that Dipper had managed to get everywhere.  _

_ "Oh come  _ on _ , I'm not  _ that _ bad," Bill replied pouting.  _

_ "mm-hmm," Dipper hummed plucking up his backpack attempting to get away from the demon before he made an absolute fool of himself.  _

_ "Pinetree," Bill purred suddenly appearing in front of Dipper.  _ How does he move that quickly and quietly?  _ "You didn't answer my question," Bill continued, leaning down placing a finger underneath the brunette's chin, tilted his head up, forcing Dipper to meet the blond's golden eyes.  _

_ "No, I am not blushing," Dipper stuttered holding the blond's gaze. _

_ "Lies," Bill stated simply. "Try again," Bill said pausing and tilting his head. "Are. you. blushing?" _

_ "Maybe," Dipper muttered finally looking away from the demon's intense but playful gaze. Bill then leaned in so that his mouth was lined up with Dipper's ear. The mortal felt his heart rate picked up until Bill finally spoke.  _

_ "Don't try and hide it Pinetree, it's cute," Bill whispered, before pulling away and walking back the way he had originally come, not once looking back at Dipper as he rendered the forested park. Dipper stood there frozen for what seemed like forever processing what the demon had said. He then smiled ridiculously reaching up to run his fingers over the smooth pendant hanging around his neck. What he didn't know was that the demon, had just as wide and ridiculous of a smile.  _


	6. Somebody That I Used To Know

Dipper blinked his eyes open as he felt a vibration coming from his pocket, he shifted onto his side, reaching down into his pants to retrieve his phone. Mables profile and ring vibration pattern had awakened him. He glanced up to see the sun had barely begun to rise above the horizon before he answers the call.

"Yea?" He said, his voice still gravelly from sleep.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" Mable's frantic voice boomed through the phone startling the quiet peaceful woods, scaring away birds in the process, and making Dipper momentarily deaf. 

"Yea I'm fine, sorry for worrying you," Dipper said as he rose to a sitting position stretching his arms up above his head pressing his phone in between his cheek and shoulder. "I couldn't sleep and went on a walk last night. I fell asleep out here, sorry for not leaving a note." Dipper continued shaking out his stiff joints, sleeping on solid rock had done nothing to improve his sleep quality but sleep was sleep. 

"But why did you sleep out there?" Mable questioned calming down and allowing confusion to overtake her. 

"I just fell asleep," Dipper said not supplying his sister with more information. "I'm heading back now, I'll see you soon," Dipper said hanging up before his sister could pester him with questions, he needed a few minutes to wake up before he could come up with a good lie. 

Dipper didn't want to tell his sister that the blankets that she spent so much time on weren't that comfortable. He didn't want to tell his gruncles that the shack was too small, that even in his large room he often felt as if he were drowning. He didn't want to tell Ford that he hated the new barrier, that when he was inside the shack he couldn't dream, that he could not control and move inside his own mindscape. He didn't want to admit how much he loved dreams of the demon before he went nuclear. 

Because when Dipper was with him, the world faded away. Though he could be incredibly annoying, he kept Dipper distracted and on the rare occasion made Dipper, really,  _ really _ happy. They practiced magic, made jokes, and Dipper felt he could forget everything else because the blond was bigger than life. Even without magic, he radiated power and demanded attention that Dipper was more than happy to give him, though he would never admit it. 

Dipper could forget his parents, forget about his 'girlfriend,' forget about any insecurity and worries. Because even when the demon mocked him, he always offered help afterward. And coming from the judgmental immortal, every compliment and praise felt more genuine and empowering than it would be coming from anyone else. 

The story he came up with was lazy and flawed at best but his sister would not think much of it, she would just be happy that he was back. As he neared the back porch he shoved down his racing thoughts and the dream from last night. And replaced the sorrowful scowl with a neutral expression that would easily break into a carefree smile and laugh at any of Mables of Stans jokes, no matter how unfunny they were.

"Dipper?" Mable called exiting the shack jogging over to her brother. Mable had already showered and gotten dress in a red sweater that covered the top of her dark blue jeans. 

"Sorry for worrying you Mable, I saw some pixies and sat down to watch them and ended up falling asleep," He supplied rubbing that back of his neck in slight embarrassment.  _ More like passed out and Pixies, really?! _

"Oh, well I'm just glad you're safe," Mable said as a lopsided smile crossed her face. "I made pancakes and there's orange juice in the fridge if you want some."

"I'm going to go shower then grab a cup of coffee, I'm not hungry," DIpper replied as he slipped around his sister and into the house. He slid off his shoes leaving them by the door before heading upstairs and into the small bathroom on the highest floor. After turning on the water, he dropped his backpack on the toilet removing most of his amulets and placing them in the bag. He then shredded his clothes and weapons before stepping into the warm stream of water. Only a few bracelets and the amulet remained in terms of magical jewelry. 

Dipper stod in the warm water going over the events of the past week, trying to find some explanation, some clue to what had happed with the demon, though the only thing out of charter was how openly kind he became. That's not to say he didn't stop teasing the brunette, but he seemed more comfortable with not making everything into a sarcastic remark. Dipper was pulled from his thoughts by Stan banging on the bathroom door telling him to hurry up and that hot water isn't free.

Dipper quickly rubbed shampoo and conditioner into his hair and rubbed his body down with some cheap smelling soap before stepping out of the shower onto a thick brown rug. Then gathered his things and walked back to his room. 

Once there he dumped everything onto the spare bed before wrapping his towel tightly around himself and falling into his. He lay there for a few minutes before pulling himself up to put on clothes. He pulled on boxers and a pair of blue jeans and put a graphic T on before throwing a sweater over it. He grabbed his hat from his bag and placed it on his head, flatting down his damp hair. He then placed each amulet back onto his body, then his weapon blet. After that, he tossed his backpack on his back and walked downstairs to grab a cup of coffee. 

"Ford?" Dipper called as he stepped from the elevator into Ford's office, all of Bills statues and merchandise had been removed and replaced by a bed, charts, pictures, and shelves full of magical items. 

"Ow, Yes?" He called back, having just hit his head on something medal. 

"What are you doing?" Dipper questioned in a child-like manner. His curiosity with his uncle never waning. He then walked over to the desk closest to the door and sat down in the wooden chair.

"Looking for an explanation for Bill's sudden explosion and loss of rational desition making."

"Rational...?" 

"Rational for Bill, he may be a monster." Dipper flinched slightly at the adjective. "But he had his own rhyme and reason, this is in no way it," Ford stated pointing with an open hand and upturned palm to a map on the wall that was full of pins, note cards, sticky notes, and string. 

"Is that all related to him?" Dipper asked staring at the map. 

"Yes, all the big moves he's made and what people have said about them," he then handed Dipper a huge stack of notecards. "Don't worry, they're color-coded," Ford said smiling after Dipper's eyes widened slightly. Dipper flipped through the cards and got sicker after each one. He could be destructive, emulative, and a dick, but this, this was a stretch, even for him. 

"What caused this?" Dipper whispered more to himself but Ford heard and supplied him with a response. 

"While I had several ideas, after what you told us yesterday, I have narrowed down the options," Ford said walking over to one of his desks and picked up a tattered notebook before flipping through it. 

"Oh?" Dipper 

"After we find out a bit more we will be able to act. My main hypothesis had to do with The Axolot," Ford began as he flipped through his notebook. "But after what you said, that does not seem likely. For one, the Axotals magic is not purple, nor does it take a flam from."

"Their magic is a mist-like pastel pinks and blues correct?" Dipper questioned flickering his eyes to the lizard drawing hanging above one of Ford's desks. 

"Correct. And with the information you provided me with, I believe I know what Bill was doing and what may have happened." Dipper's eyes widened as he heard this for he had been going over it so many times and could not come up with a good and possible explanation. 

"Really? What?"

"Human sacrifice that was interrupted by another demon, one near his power level, meaning that if he was to survive, he had to regain his powers. And the reason he is rampaging was Bill didn't have his human of choice. There's really no other reasonable explanation." Ford concluded handing the notebook to Dipper to look over. 

"Wait, who was the human that he was pissed about losing?" Dipper asked before looking down at the notebook that was now in his hands. 

"You, why else would you have been together," Stan stated, his question was rhetorical and had no need for Dippers answer or thoughts on the matter. 

"Oh..." Dipper whispered clenching the notebook before looking down at its contents, and everything... made sense. Why Bill was being kinder to him the past week could have also been to make Dipper more comfortable around the demon so that he could be killed easier. Dipper began to flip through the rest of the pages, though not reading them, he was just In need of something to do with his hands to stop them from shaking. 

"I had a few other ideas like some dangerous spell, soulmates, or he could have been faking his mortality. But this idea has the most support," Ford said as he pointed to the book that Dipper was still flipping through. 

"I, I... I need to take a walk," Dipper said standing up and throwing the notebook down onto the chair. "I'll be fine, I just need to think," Dipper said before Ford could voice his concerns. 

The ride up the elevator was agonizing, the slow pace only caused Dipper's heart and breathing to speed up, allowing the panic to settle in and take ahold of him. Once he had shoved open the vending machine, he sprinted through the gift shop and out the door. He ran until he could feel his lungs burning, until his legs felt like jelly, until he felt like he could breathe again. 

Dipper fell against a tree, pressing his back against the bark, though his backpack protected his skin from the rough texture. He slid down the rough surface until he was keeling on the ground, willing away the tears that had began to pool in his eyes.  _ He was using you the entire fucking time, god you're an idiot. You are crushing on someone who was going to kill you.  _

_ You can't love him, he tried to kill you, multiple times.  _

_ But he... maybe it's all just a misunderstanding?  _

_ Did you hit your head?! There are no other options, you fell in love with a demon who was going to try and kill you AGAIN! _

_ I don't lov-  _

_... _

_ shit _

"Dipper!" Mables screams tore Dipper from his thoughts and back into the world. 

"Mable!" Dipper screamed back, still high on adrenaline. He ran towards her voice before the two twins met in a small clearing. Mable stood there panting, her purple skirt and pink sweater were torn and her shoes were nowhere to be seen. Blood was turning her socks a deep shade of red as she stumbled into his arms. "What happened?"

"I don't, know, magic, I, I'm scared," Mable painted squeezing his arms looking around alarmed. 

"Hey, It'll be okay," DIpper said slipping the amulet off his head. He didn't know who the demon was to him, or what Dipper was to him, but the amulet had proved itself multiple times. "This amulet will protect you from all kinds of magic, okay?" Dipper said dropping the necklace into his sister's bloodied palm. 

But before the crystal hit Mable’s hand, she transformed. Dipper backed away as his sister's body was engulfed in purple flams. When the flames disappeared, in his sister's place stood a tall pale man. He had on an expensive-looking true purple suit. A black bowler hat floated above his deep purple hair and a black square eye patch covered his right eye. The other eye was the same deep purple of his hair. 

"God you're an idiot," the sam said as he straightened his black tie, smoothing it down against his white dress shirt. The man gave Dipper a full tooth smiled sending a shiver down the mortals back. The man's pointed teeth looked sharp enough to rip through concrete. 

"I, how, who, what?" Dipper studdered as he tried to take a step back, though was frozen in fear. The man’s eyes sparkled with mirth as he clutched the pendant in his hand dropping it into a back pocket. He then looked Dipper up and down, paying close attention to where his birthmark would be displayed if not covered by his hat and matted down hair. 

"The names Tad Strange, and you, little mortal," the demon said leaning down it Dippers face with a look that turned his blood to ice, "are coming with me." With that, he snapped and purple flams consumed the two but before the fire could die away, Dipper passed out, landing on cold solid ground. The last thing he remembered before slipping unconscious was the sound of quite manic laughter and a large metal door slamming shut. 


	7. SOS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other title Idea: Screaming Under Water (SOS), Can You Hear Me Calling (SOS), Did It To Myself, Now I Need Your Help, Alone And Overboard Yelling SOS
> 
> Also, this is where most of the warnings come in

Dipper tried to open his eyes but felt as weights had been attached to his eyelashes, keeping them shut. He was in a cold dark room, there was a cloth tied around his eyes, no light can through the cloth and his eyelids. His arms were raised above his head, cold cuffs dug into his skin and caused blood to flow from the wounds. Or at least he assumed it was blood, his writs were coded with some dried but warm liquid. His keens were barely brushing the floor meaning that most of his weight was supported by his tingling arms. 

A chain of movement began at his toes as Dipper tried to get feeling back into his body, though he felt as if he had just run a marathon, then fought The Axolot, only to have a building dropped on his head. To put it simply, Dipper felt like shit. Feeling returned to his muscles in the form of painful tingling. He was in just his T-shirt and jeans, his belt, backpack, amulets, sweater, and hat were nowhere to be felt or seen. 

Dipper prayed to whatever greater force there was that his tattoos were hidden. The markings were magical and would disappear when he needed them to, if the demon, if Tad didn't know he had them, Dipper might be able to fight his way out. Without the amulets, journals, and other items, his power has greatly decreased. But he had been working on improving his own magic a lot this summer, he hoped that the extra training would be enough to get him out alive.

After half an hour of consciousness, Dipper was able to move his whole body. Though with the blindfold he wasn't able to see anything, meaning that his every move could be being monitored right now. Which meant no magic, and no trying to escape. Dipper was stuck until someone came to interact with him, or he went insane from waiting, whichever came first. 

After what seemed like years later, a metal door was being opened and someone walked in. The sound of shoes tapped against the stone floor echoed loudly around the quiet room. Dipper froze as the sound got closer to where he was chained. 

"Ah, you're awake, I'm surprised you're not dead," a calm voice said as Dipper's blindfold was removed. He then came face to face with the same purple demon. After looking him up and down, Tad snapped his fingers causing bright LED lights to fill the room with unnatural white light.

"The magic I performed should have killed you, though I'm glad it didn't," the man said smiling slyly at him. 

"How long have I been here?" Dipper asked swallowing down his fear, not wanted to give the demon the satisfaction of seeing him scared. 

"Right to the point," The man said chuckling. "About a week, I had to do some spells and shit and you're body decided to keep you conked out."

"A week?" Dipper whispered. No wonder he felt like death itself. It was a wonder that he hadn't died from starvation or dehydration. 

"Your magic is the only thing keeping you alive," Tad said before placing a cup of water in fount of his face lifting the straw to the mortal's lips, "Drink." Dipper stared at the glass then back at the demon before hesitantly leaning forward. He could survive a long time without food, but water was essential if he wanted to leave. Besides, If Tad wanted him dead, he would have already killed him. 

"What do you want with me?" Dipper asked after he had drunk at least a gallon of water, the glass never lost a drop of water. 

"Well, originally I wanted you dead, but it appears that when it came to his soulmate, Bill was too panicked to recognize an inclusion," Tad said laughing. Dipper just hung there confusion written across his face. "You don't know...?" Tad said raising an eyebrow at the mortal. "Wait, why do you think Cipher is all mad and destroying things?" Tad asked tilting his head to the side, though not in a cute manner. After minutes of waiting in the silence for Dipper to answer Tad spoke again, "answer the question kid, I can find out myself if I wanted to. But I'm not as efficient as my cousin at maneuvering through the Mindscape, so you might lose a few things."

"Cousin?" 

"God I thought you were supposed to be smart," Tad scoffed. "Bill's my older cousin, but only by a few decades. His family, while the ones that are still alive, specify in the mind while it’s asleep, while my family is better with dealing with the mind when it's awake." Tad explained.

"But he has a family?" Dipper was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. 

"Distant relatives, yes," Tad said as he got rid of the glass. "Now answer my question." 

"Oh... Ford said it was a human sacrifice that was interrupted by another demon, one near his power level, meaning that if he was to survive, he had to regain his powers... I'm guessing that was you?" Tad nodded. "The Purple flames gave it away"

"Oh did it?" Tad scoffed as he leaned back as if to sit in a chair but just started floating, gravity did not apply to him. 

"And the reason he is rampaging was Bill didn't have his human of choice, which Ford guessed was me," Dipper finished his voice fading out. 

"God you humans can be so stupid sometimes, It wasn't a bad guess, but far from the truth," Tad chuckled shaking his head at Dipper's confusion. 

"So are you gonna tell me the truth or just stand there and laugh," Dipper snapped.

"Oh I'll tell you, don't worry. But first," Tad said waving one hand through the air, making a small dagger appeared. "You know that Incubus feed on lust right?" 

"Um... yes?" Dipper replied confused at the sudden change in topic.

"While did you know that different demons can feed on other emotions  _ besides _ lust?" Tad said walking over to Dipper as he played with the small knife. Dipper began to shake, pulling at the bonds trying to get away from the demon. Tad walked until his face was lined up with Dipper's ear before whispering, "Strange's feed on pain. But don't worry, if anything goes south, ill need a hostage." 

He then lifted up Dippers bangs and placed the tip of the dagger on the handle of the constellation before pressing down, hard. Dipper let out a cry before jerking his head back which caused the dagged to get dragged across his forehead. 

"Don't move, or you won't get to hear the story," Tad said placing the knife back in his head before he began tracing the birthmark on the thin skin. Dipper bit his lip as the demon began to talk again. "Your first mistake was talking the pendent off," Tad said tristing the knife into Dippers's skull causing him to cry out again. "When you went on that walk with Cipher, I was going to kill you and make him watch, but the pendent would not let me near you. So I did the next best thing, what do you think that was?" Tad questioned lazily, "I want an answer."

"I, Um..." Dipper studdered.  _ Think! He's good at casting illusions and wanted to kill me...  _ "You made him think you killed him," Dipper replied whimpering as Tad grabbed on his left arm digging his claw-like nails into Dipper’s skin. 

"Correct," Tad said as he pulled his bloodied claws from Dipper's arm, tearing it in the prosses, sending blood flowing down Dipper's arm. "And once Bill thought his precious little soulmate was dead," Tad reached up to Dippers other arms, and grabbed the mortal's hand, "He snapped." As he said this he gripped Dipper's fingers and bent them. Dipper yelled as he felt his fingers break under the demon's death grip. 

"Why?" Dipper cried out through the blood and tears that were dripping down his face, tinting his vision pink. 

"Because soulmates make demons stronger. After he found out that his soulmate was 'marked by the stars', he knew that you were his. Bill has been a show off for years. It's time someone put him in his place." Tad said removing the dagger after it had traced the outline of Dipper's birthmark. "And once I kill you for real, He will feel the pain I felt when he killed mine. It was an accident sure, but our family has not been known to let people go easily, as you know," Tad said grinning. He then moved faster than lighting and sunk the blade deep into Dipper's shoulder. The mortal screamed while choking on the salty blood that had slipped into his mouth. "Hold that for me?" Tad said as he walked from the room, closing the large door behind him, and plunging the room back into darkness. 


	8. I Know I Want You But I'm Drowning Fear, I'm Finally Ready, Help Me Up Out Of Here

Dipper woke up for the fourth time, at least that's what he thought. He had not moved from the dark room and had slipped in and out of conciseness. The room was colder than it was before, and Dipper's stiff muscles were numb, though his shoulder aked the worse, the blade was still nestled in his shoulder. And sleep offered no solace, the second Dipper closed his eyes, he was pledged by nightmares. 

After he didn't fall right back asleep, Dipper tried to move, though even a small movement could set his nerves on fire. He didn't try to move his arm, knowing that the blade could do more damage if jostled. He also had no feeling in his other hand, which now consisted of only broken fingers. 

Dipper squeezed his eyes together trying to keep his tears from flowing down his face once more. His mouth already tasted like copper and tears, and the added salt would only cause him to become dehydrated faster. He tried focusing on anything, but the quiet black room around him. He tried to remember Mable signing karaoke with Kee when she can up onto land, he tried to remember her bear hugs when he woke up screaming, tried to remember the sun, and the water he tried hopelessly to freeze until Bill finally showed up to offer assistance. 

He remembered when Bill had first arrived, how argent he acted, even though he was turned mortal and facing his defectors. How Mable had pleaded with him to become friends with the demon, and how Dipper had. He remembered how much he looked forward the seeing the demon, or to him popping up. How the blond would tell endless stories he nad picked up over the decades. How he never told Dipper to stop talking, that he wasn't boring, before Bill, Ford was the only one that would listen. And even then he was sometimes too busy. 

Dipper remembered how in June he put a lot of effort into anything water-related so that he could make a rainbow appear whenever he wanted. How Bill asked why, and after Dippers failed attempts at lying, he told him about Pride mouth. Dipper had expected the demon to scoff but he only looked annoyed and confused. How the demon had said that needed a pride mouth was ridiculous because they never should have been ridiculed in the first place. 

He remembered asking the demon if her really thought that, Dipper remembered the weight that lifted from his chest when Bill said yes. He remembered how Bill had taken note of his expression and asked him why he seemed too happy all of a sudden. Dipper remembered Bill's reaction to him coming out. How he didn't tell him he was sick, that he needed to be fixed. He remembered the demon shrugging and saying _ 'okay?' _

Dipper clung to those happy memories, fighting the urge to cry and scream to fill the silence with some sound. He kept his eyes tightly shut, watching the flashes of color that appeared in front of his irises, behind his closed lids. Just as he was about to drift off, the door slammed open letting light spill into the room.

Dipper hung there like a ragdoll, not daring to move a muscle, hoping that the demon would think he was still passed out and would leave him be. But the sound of panting and footsteps got closer until someone had cupped his face and whispered his name. 

"Kee?" Dipper rasped looking up to meet the immortal's eyes. 

"Oh thank god you're alive," she replied as she began to undo the chains that were holding his hands above his head. As his left arm fell down, Kee wrapped one arm around his waist to keep him from falling. She then carefully undid his right arm, being cautious with the stab wound and fingers. Once Dipper was down Kee took out a necklace and slipped it over his head, the amulets Imedetly began to work to heal him. The claw marks on his left arm burned as his body tried to work with the newly introduced magic to heal the tear. His fingers snapped back into place on his right, but the dagger stayed in his shoulder.

"What's going on?" Dipper asked after Kee had picked him up bridal style and began to make her way out of the maze-like corridors. Dipper could hear shouting, but the voices were too muffled to make out. 

"We all came to get you, Ford, Mable, Stan, Pacifica, and I that is." She said walking quickly through the dark hallways that were light only by the purple torches and Kee's soft glow. 

"Pacifica's alright?" Dipper asked excitedly looking up at the immortal. Mable had already lost so much, Pacifica had grown to be her best friend, Dipper couldn't bear the thought of his sister losing her also. 

"Yea, she's fine, anyway. We all split up into groups to find you, I was the only one who went alone," Kee slowed to a stop and peeked around a corner before continuing. "When we arrived, the purple demon was already fighting Cipher, we sunk around them and began looking for you. "

"Bill's here?" Dipper replied turning his head towards the direction of the muffled shouts.

"Yea, seemed pretty pissed too. The perfect distraction." 

"Why is he here?" Dipper asked quickly as he began to move his body to stretch out his burning muscles. 

"Don't know, don't care," she said before turning once more into a wider hallway where Ford, Stan, Pacifica, and Mable stood waiting for them. 

"Dipper!" Mable yelled running over to him demanding answers about how he was feeling and what had happened. 

"Mable, we need to get out of here, then we can ask questions," Ford said as he began to lead the group towards the exit. "I found a different way out that will keep us from the demons." Dipper struggled in the immortal's arms before asking that he put down, Kee reluctantly let him down. He began to walk with them until they reached a point where the hall split in two. "This way," Ford said pointing down the left hall. He and Pacifica then began moving away from the group. 

"What's down the other hall," Dipper said not moving from his spot in between the two halls. 

"Cipher and purple," Stan said before following his twin down the opposite hall. Dipper still didn't move from his spot, common sense told him to run, to get away from the demons and go with his family, but something screamed in the back of his mind to go down the right hallway to where the demons were, to where Bill was. 

"I have to go then," he said turning from his family only for Mable and Kee to grab onto his arms. 

"Are you crazy?!" Mable yelled as Kee asked him if he had a death wish. 

"I need to," Dipper said pulling back. "Please Mable," He pleaded. "I have to go, It will take too long to explain, but I have to. Please," he whispered looking deeply into his twin's eyes. 

"Calf..." Kee warned. Mable then stepped forward, grabbed the blade, and pulled it straight out of her brother's shoulder. Dipper leaned into the wall clenching the wound which had started to bleed again. His sister didn't say anything to him as she placed her hand over the wound and began to heal it with amulets and her own magic. "Mable, you can't be serious," Kee said still socked. 

"I trust you," was all Mable said before turning and running after her uncles and friend. After Mable was out of sight Kee turned her attention back to the mortal in front of her. 

"I don't know what you think you are doing or why," she said sighing. "But you better not die or I'll kill you, got it?" she demanded pointing a finger at his chest. 

"I, I'll try."

"Not good enough. Promise me you will okay," Kee said still holding onto his other arm. Dipper pressed his lips into a thin line before nodding. 

"I promise." With that Kee turned and left him standing alone, not once looking back to see if he had gone after the demons, or made the smart decision to follow her out. 


	9. I And Love And You

Dipper walked quickly through the winding hallway as the sounds of people shouting got louder. The purple torches flickered as Dipper moved past them in the dimly light hall. the walls and floor were black, the walls were matt and absorbed most of the light, while the stone floor reflected the light, causing the ground to sparkle. 

Turning down another hall Dipper began to be able to hear the difference between the voices. Bill was screaming in rage, Tad seemed to be focusing all his energy on spells. Dipper started to jog lightly, still not completely steady on his legs, his muscles still burnt, and though most of his wounds had healed. The one on his head was still painful and refused to heal magically. There was also block dried to his arms and face making everything itchy and uncomfortable. 

Dipper entered a large domed room through the balcony that ran along its inside, though parts of the floor were missing. Purple and red fire burned throughout the entire room, filling it with a smoky smell, and filled the air gray dust. Dipper could feel his hairs standing on edge from the sheer amount of power in the room. Especially Bills, the dream demon attacked as if there was no tomorrow. 

Said demon was facing off against Tad and looked  _ pissed.  _ He was hovering in the air and looked, barely human. He wore a black and red suit that was shredded and burned in places, his signature top hat floated about his head casting a shadow on his blond hair. The red of his flames and suit had a strong resemblance to blood that made Dipper's stomach turn. 

Dipper pressed himself against the wall and leaned down low as he made his way over to the staircase on the other side of the room. The stairs were luckily still in working order, though the path to the stairs was full of holes and crumbling rock. Using magic, he moved carefully across the burning room, keeping one eye on the battle beneath him. 

Dipper debated attempting to get Bill's attention while still on the balcony but decided against it. If he said anything while he was up here, and it got Tad's attention. the demon would easily be able to send a spell at him. And in the shape he was in, it would probably kill him. Once he got to the staircase he looked at the amulets that he had to work with and smiled when seeing that one of them was an illusion stone. meaning that he would be able to make himself invisible as he moved down the stairs. 

After activating the amulet, Dipper made his way down the stairs until he was hidden behind the large mass of stone and wood, before deactivating the amulet. He then took a longer time to see what amulets he had, while most of them were for healing, he had a few that could be used to fight. Telekinesis, barrier creation, teleportation, and clairvoyance.

After taking inventory, he edged his way around the staircase so that he could more easily hear and see the two demons. 

"I'm going to rip you apart atom by atom!" Bill screamed flinging Tad against a wall causing the purple demon to cough up blood. The younger immortal teleported away before Bill got get in another hit, appearing a few feet away sending a wave of solid flams at the other. Bill just became more enraged with every attack, and that mistake would have cost him his life. 

Tad didn't respond to the blond's anticks for a reason.  _ Tad is trying to get him madder so that he acts recklessly.  _ Dipper though watching the fight. Tad was playing defensive, looking for a fatal opening, and a few strikes from Bill later, he had it. 

Bill stepped forward throwing another large wave of magic at Tad, but in doing so, blocked his own vision for only three seconds. But in those seconds, Tad teleported behind the older demon and sent a pointed jolt of pent up magic with the strength to knock down a mountain. 

It was at this moment that Dipper acted. He jumped out from his spot, with both of the demons facing away from his he had a clear shot. Dipper moved without thinking, not thinking about the fact that after he acted, he would be left defenseless. He clucked the barrier amulet at Bill, shouting in Latin as it flew causing the magic to form just before Tad's shot landed. 

As the two connected, a large blast echoed throughout the room. The doomed room echoed with the sound of the light blue amulet and Tad's magic colliding. The room was filled with a flash of bright light as the amulet crack in half, falling uselessly to the floor. Bill and Tad floated in placed stunned until Tad saw Dipper standing in the corner with a ridiculously proud look on his face. 

"You!" Tad screamed hurling a bight ball of purple fire at him. Dipper brought his hands up to his face, waiting for the intense heat that would have burned him alive, only for it not to come. Instead, a large chunk of the wall was blown up to the left of him. 

Bill was now facing both of them, still looking furious. And for a fraction of a second, a dozen emotions flashed across his face. Fear, relief, confusion, hope, uncertainty.

"Dipper?" He asked in the now quiet room. Tad was frozen, whether in fear or rage, Dipper did not know. Dipper eyed flashed between the two demons before he got the courage to speak, his voice was still raspy from sleep, panic, and yelling. 

"Bill," Dipper said, cringing at the sound of his voice as it shook with fear. Tad then lunged at him, hatred burning in his eyes. But before he reached the mortal, Bill appeared sending a blast of light red fire at the purple demon, causing him to teleport away.

"You're alive?" Bill demanded looking at Dipper, he seemed hopeful but not wanting to let one of Tad's illusions trick him. 

"Yea, the other me, or when I died? that, um, that was an illusion," Dipper tried to explain, though Bill still looked warry of him. 

"Prove it," Bill responded, his eyes still burning, though the flames had dyed from a raging forest fire to one of a building. Bill's attention was all on Dipper, and Tad wasn't stupid enough to try and make a move now.

"I..." Dipper paused, knowing that his life now depended on if he could convince Bill that he was real. He thought about the times they had spent together, tried to think about something that Tad wouldn't know. Dipper would have to show that he was him, that Bill could trust him. Dipper stood rooted to the spot before finally speaking, " I actually never loved Candy, I only dated her because Mable said we should, I hate my parents, I feel like I am a bother to everyone because I'm a nerd... the first time we talked, you told me how nightmares work," and once he began, he didn't stop until he ran out of breath. "Your favorite color isn't gold or black, it's light blue. That's also why your magic isn't yellow, it's because of Will, your twin brother died when your dimension burned" Dipper finished looking up at Bill who stood there shocked while Tad's face had gone white. 

"You're alive," Bill whispered before turning to Tad who began to back away. "I'll give you one chance to get out of my sight. I don't want to kill you in fount of him," Bill said glancing back at Dipper who seemed like he was going to pass out any minute. Tad, though seeming mad, took the advice and vanished in a cloud of purple fire. 

Bill then turned back towards Dipper and walked over to him, cupping his face with one hand and running his hand along Dipper's birthmark with the other. 

"Did he do this to you?" Bill whispered, his voice colder than ice. 

"Yea..." Dipper muttered looking away from the demon blushing at the close inspection. 

"I'm going to kill that rotearp rotamurri," Bill mutter, slipping out of English. 

"Can we just go home?" Dipper pleaded, feeling sleep wrap itself around him. 

"Of course Pinetree," Bill said softly scoping Dipper into his arms and teleporting into the shack. 

"Wait, how'd you do that," Dipper asked sleepily as Bill placed him in his bed. 

"Soulmate thing, you're with me so I could get passed," Bill said laying the blanket on top of Dipper's small body. 

"You'll be here when I wake up, right?" Dipper asked looking up at Bill.

"Yea, I promise I won't leave," Bill said as he lowered himself to the floor, sitting at Dipper's eye level. Dipper smiled before leaning forward to place a small kiss on the demon's cheek, then quickly pulled back and wrapping the blanket around himself, shielding his face from the demon's stare. "Pinetree," Bill hummed, causing Dipper to peck his face out inch by inch. Once he was far enough out, Bill cupped his cheeks, bring the two together in a soft kiss. Dipper smiled into the kiss as he turned to sleepy putty in the demon's hands. "Get some sleep Pinetree, I'm not going anywhere," Bill whispered pulling back running his thumb along the mortal's cheekbone. Dipper hummed before letting his head fall down against the soft pillow and fell asleep listing to the soft rhythm of his soulmate's breathing. 


End file.
